Miracle Summoner

Encountering the Atlas Institute here was something Rozen had never anticipated.

As one of the three major divisions of the Mage's Association, renowned as the "Institute of Accumulation and Measurement," Atlas is the origin of magecraft, a group of alchemists dedicated to analyzing the principles of the world. Though isolated from humanity and distanced from the Clock Tower, the heart of the Mage's Association, it has existed since before the Common Era. Alongside the Wandering Sea, it is considered a prototype of the Mage's Association.

Speaking of which, Chaldea's founding is also connected to the existence of Atlas.

After all, Chaldea is an organization that emerged by integrating magecraft and science, diverging greatly from the association's emphasis on mysticism. Its philosophy aligns more closely with Atlas.

Because all alchemists of Atlas share the common characteristic of having underdeveloped magic circuits, they do not rely on mana in their studies of magecraft. Instead, they depend heavily on tools, even treating "souls" as observable units of pseudo-spiritual energy. They create lifeforms with magic circuits to serve them.

"We do not need to become the strongest; we simply need to create the strongest."

This is the creed of the alchemists of Atlas.

Thus, they have not only created numerous homunculi but also a variety of mystic codes, earning the title of an unparalleled repository of mystic codes. Among these mystic codes are some terrifying ones, powerful enough to destroy the world.

The founding concept of Chaldea heavily borrowed from Atlas' model, and much of its technology succeeded only with Atlas' support.

For instance, the Spiritron Calculation Device, Trismegistus, which enables the spiritron conversion of humans for transfer to Singularities, was a technology provided by Atlas.

In other words, without Atlas, Chaldea would not have had the technology for Spiritron Transfer. Even the verification of existence after transfer relies on Trismegistus' ability to interfere with the past. It can even transfer souls and recalculate them beyond the digital world into the physical realm, an incredibly advanced capability.

Without this technology, humanity would likely have had no hope in the face of the incineration of human order, having long since been burned to ashes alongside human history.

Mash clearly realized this as well.

"Senpai…"

Mash turned her gaze to Rozen.

This meant Mash wanted Rozen to issue instructions.

And given the current situation, what instructions to give was obvious.

"Let's go inside."

Rozen made the decision without hesitation.

"Yes, please stay close behind me."

Mash immediately stepped in front of Rozen, raising her shield with one hand and holding his hand with the other, her expression tense.

The place they were about to enter was the headquarters of an organization considered the prototype of the Mage's Association. It was said to house weapons capable of destroying the world. Moreover, the organization was notorious for its exclusivity. Given Mash's thorough understanding of Atlas as a member of Chaldea, her vigilant demeanor was entirely reasonable.

This organization had existed since before the Common Era, its lineage stretching further back than the Clock Tower's 2,000-year history. Tracing its origins might lead one back to an age before the decline of mysticism, perhaps even to the Age of Gods itself.

For this reason, even for a Servant, this organization was a formidable entity. Caution was warranted.

Rozen, similarly, didn't act casually. Although he didn't necessarily need Mash's protection, he still followed her lead, stepping into Atlas under her guard.

...

Atlas is known as the Titan's Pit, and for good reason.

Upon stepping into Atlas, Rozen and Mash were greeted by a cavernous stone chamber that perfectly suited the description of a "pit."

It was a plaza resembling a cavern, with pathways leading into the depths.

As soon as Rozen and Mash entered, they saw numerous humans lying in the plaza.

"Ugh…"

"Ugh…"

A group of individuals, dressed identically to the Mountain People, lay on the ground, their expressions pained as if they were trapped in nightmares.

"The lost Mountain People…!"

Mash exclaimed in shock.

These individuals were the very Mountain People who had fled into the desert.

However, for reasons unknown, they were all in this state.

"Senpai, what's happened to them?"

Mash hurriedly stepped forward to examine the bodies of the Mountain People but found nothing physically wrong.

Rozen, on the other hand, noticed something.

"Don't worry; they're fine. It's just that they seem to be plagued by wraiths or spirits, causing them to fall into nightmares without physical harm."

Using Spirit Vision, Rozen could see miasma emanating from the bodies of the Mountain People.

This was a classic case of their minds and spirits being affected by miasma.

"In other words, there are wraiths or spirits here?"

Mash inquired.

"No, if there were wraiths or spirits, these people wouldn't merely be plagued by miasma. They would've been killed. Moreover, this is Atlas. Ordinarily, spirits or wraiths wouldn't form here."

Rozen shook his head.

"Then why are the Mountain People like this?"

Mash asked, confused.

Rozen's eyes gleamed slightly.

"If I'm not mistaken, the wraiths and spirits that caused this weren't naturally occurring in Atlas. Instead, they were summoned here by someone to attack these people."

Rozen said this while raising his head to look ahead.

"Am I wrong?"

Clearly, this statement wasn't directed at Mash but at a third party present.

"...!"

Mash reacted instantly, raising her shield and standing protectively in front of Rozen.

In that moment…

"To infer the sequence of events from the state of insignificant humans and even sense my presence… You truly are remarkable, human Master. To have traversed five Singularities, reached this place, and earned the Sun King's recognition—impressive!"

As this pleasant voice rang out, a figure emerged from the dark corridor leading deeper into Atlas.

A girl with dark brown skin and vibrant purple hair appeared, her locks so thick and lustrous they seemed like a cloak. Two braids fell over her shoulders, while two strands were tied up like rabbit ears. She was adorned with golden ornaments all over her body.

She carried a staff and walked with an air of confidence, exuding an aura of nobility, elegance, and grandeur.

Her expression was filled with pride and self-assurance.

And then…

"Yah!"

With a sharp cry, the girl tripped over a threshold and fell flat on the ground.

"..."

"..."

Rozen and Mash, who had been on high alert, widened their eyes in astonishment.

Then, they were left speechless.